


The River Flows

by OwlChief6



Category: The Locked Tomb Trilogy | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Content Warning: Ianthe Tridentarius, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fighting is Flirting, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Necromancy, Slow Burn, Time Travel, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:15:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29008170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlChief6/pseuds/OwlChief6
Summary: “I think I know how I can save us.” You said.“Okay.” I’m a grown ass adult, I have died before. I can use more than one word sentences god dammit!“Metaphysical thalergic temporal reconvergence.”“What?” Nailed it."Time travel Griddle. Time Travel.”A kind of time travel fix-it fic with hopefully a happy ending.
Relationships: Gideon Nav/Harrowhark Nonagesimus
Comments: 82
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place almost exactly after the end of Harrow the Ninth, ignoring the epilogue.   
> The tale starts from Gideon's perspective at the end of Chapter 52.
> 
> Enjoy!

And as everything went black and I died for the second time around, I saw you. Like a burst of air underwater, which might have actually been what happened, you popped into existence. You were there, floating before me like an angel of death dressed in black gossamer. You reached your hand out to me and I took it. I felt you come back into yourself all at once. I thought that this was it. That at the end we would die together, which fuck you for shoving my death back into my own face with your own death. But screw it, we were together, just like always, and I could live with that. Well, die with that. It was as good an ending as I could have ever hoped for, well that’s not true. I always thought I would go out with either a sword in my chest or a pair of tittes in m…

“Shut up, Griddle!” you said. And I shut up.

For about five seconds.

“Marrow queen?” I asked. And you groaned.

“Now is not the time Griddle. I have work to do.”

“What work? We’re dying Harrow!”

“Not if you shut up and let me work!”

So I shut up. Again. This must be a record or something for me shutting up on command. I was quiet and then I started to hear things. I think it was your thoughts. Which, I was kind of used to, but this time it was different, faster, and I realized that this was the first time you were fully aware of yourself and me since you basically lobotomized yourself. And God, Harrow, it was beautiful. I didn’t understand a word of it but it was so fucking beautiful and I wondered if this is what it was like for you when you watched me fight. No idea what was going on but still thinking, fuck that’s hot. And then it stopped all at once. The next thing I know we’re in a white room. Which was weird, but not as weird as that fact that I was looking at you. Really seeing you for the first time since I died. Your hair was longer and your jawline had somehow gotten even sharper. I swear I could cut glass with it. You were also taller, not by much, but taller all the same. You were thinner too. I could see rib bones poking out under your shirt and I knew they were yours and not one of your construct’s. But the thing that was the most surreal was that you had my eyes. I blinked.

“I can see you.” 

“Yes. And I you.” You replied. You looked me over and I wondered what you saw. Did you see me as a phantom of your old enemy? A corpse but not the one you loved? A bloody pain in your ass back again with a vengeance? A friend? I stopped thinking about it and tried to get my mouth going.

“How?” I managed.

“I made a space for us in the River. While we are here this place has rules and one of them is that you have your own form.”

Since you pointed it out I finally looked down at myself. My arms were bare and I was in the familiar black of my cavalier robes. I reached up to my face and first felt the skull paint and then the glasses on my nose. Then I finally noticed the weight on my back and reached my hand up to feel the grip of my two-hander. I smiled. 

“Okay.” I said as I looked back at you and I was surprised to see you break eye contact. “You getting shy in your old age Queen of the Damned?”

You sighed and looked back at me with my eyes, “I think I know how I can save us.”

“Okay.” I’m a grown ass adult, I have died before. I can use more than one word sentences god dammit!

“Metaphysical thalergic temporal reconvergence.”

“What?” Nailed it.

“Time travel Griddle. Time Travel.”

I swear my brain stopped working for a solid minute. Time travel? Fucking time travel?! What the shitty god-father ever loving mother fucking piece of bullshit is this? So I said as much.

“The fuck Harrow? I know you’re the single most brilliant necromancer in ten thousand generations.” Your lips twitched up in a ghost of a smile at that and I just about came. Fuck. “But even you can’t tell me you came up with a way to time travel.” That shit was impossible. I have only ever heard about it in my comic books which just shows you how much of a fantasy it really was.

“I didn’t. Palamedes did.” You said, and I could tell it hurt you to admit that. Your eyes did that squinty thing they do when you were in pain but didn’t want to show it. Like that time you were five and had your first tooth pulled.

“Sex Pal didn’t mention anything about time travel when we saw him in his little slice of hell. He didn’t get much to say about anything now that I think about it. That freaky Sleeper thing showed up. What the fuck was that by the way?”

You rolled your eyes at me. Rude. “The Sleeper was an invading revenant that was trying to take over my body.”

“What the what?”

“It was a tormented soul that bound itself to your sword that I am fairly certain was actually your mother’s. You don’t seem surprised.”

I rolled my shoulders, “I kind of met her. She was riding around in Cytherea’s body.”

“So that was her physical anchor after the sword.” 

“Yeah. So not really surprising that she was messing with you. What was surprising was meeting my dad.”

The look that you gave me was one of sheer disbelief. Which I didn’t think was possible, but as quick as it appeared it disappeared and in its place came your  _ I’m thinking deeper than the blackest black hole  _ face. Why do you always look hot when you are thinking? Fuck me.

You refocused my eyes on me. Why didn’t you change that in here? Could you not or did it just happen without you realizing it? Both seemed unlikely. “Gideon the First?” You asked.

“No. God John mother fucking Gauis himself.”

I rushed forward to catch you as you fell. I caught you in time and lifted you into my arms. You didn’t immediately pull away and I almost dropped you when you actually wormed your way more into my grip. I held you but barely felt you. I guess weight is kind of unimportant here. You weren’t trying to get down so I just held you as you wrapped your head around my own personal existential crisis. You got through it faster than I did and looked up at me like you did back in Canaan House. That evaluating look that said you had missed something the first time around and you were looking at it again to make sure you didn’t miss anything else. I got a little shiver down my spine at that look. 

“You are the child of God.” You said it like it was the simplest thing in the universe and not a fucking brain wracking nightmare.

“Seems that way.” You nodded then and reached up to grab a hold of my shirt. I thought you were going yank my collar down and by extension my face and tell me how dumb that was, but you just left your hand there. And squeezed. “Tell me the rest.” I prompted.

You nodded as you began talking again. “After we finished expelling your mother the others left. All but Dulcinea, she stayed to tell me two things. First was Palamedes’ metaphysical thalergic temporal reconvergence theory. Don’t make that face just because you don’t like big words Griddle. She gave me the basic theory on how it worked. That if we can pull souls from the past to our present, why can’t we push souls from our present back into the past?”

It was a damn trippy thought and I could barely wrap my head around it. But it kind of made sense. You can go up and down a river. One way is just harder than the other though. “What about the second thing?”

“That you were alive.”

“Well duh.” I said immediately and that got me a slap on the chest. You hadn’t laid your own hands on me like that in years. Not since you realized that I was bigger than you and could kick your ass. That was when you started using your skeletons to do your dirty work. I decided to be gracious and did not drop you on your ass just then.

“I am being serious, Gideon.” You saying my name got my full attention. It always did. “I thought I had killed you. And don’t say you were already dead. I thought I had devoured your soul and all that was left was a fragment of yourself. Neurons, fragments of memory, and your skill for the sword. I thought I had purged the rest in my ignorance.”

“You’re never ignorant of anything.”

“That is a bold-faced lie Gideon Nav and you know it. As I was saying I thought you were gone and all that was left was pieces. But she told me that you felt different. She could feel the connection we had and the connection you had to my body and it felt different than the one the Sleeper had to me. She said it was real. That it was full and true. No fragments. No felt over neurons. It was you.”

The look you gave me then probably would have broken me if we weren’t in a weird bubble pocket dimension thing that your mind had made. I think you made me stronger here somehow, which makes me think again about how you must see me. Instead I leaned forward and pressed my lisp to the top of your hair.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily Harrowhark. I thought you would have learned that by now.” I spoke into your hair so I didn’t have to look you in the eye.

“Put me down Griddle.” I put you down and watched as you brushed nonexistent dirt from your clothes. It seemed to help center you though and you looked right at me. “I need your help to do this.”

That was probably the nicest thing you had ever said to me in my entire life so all I could say was, “Okay. What do we need to do?” 

And you fucking smiled! Not a barely there kind of smile or a nothing but teeth smile that was meant to show savagery more than kindness, but an honest to Dad-God smile! And it was directed right at me! Fuck!

* * *

  
  


Gideon Nav bolted upright in her bed as she grabbed her head to try to keep it from exploding. Her ears were pounding like drums on the inside of her skull to a beat she could not imagine. Images raced before her eyes, ghosts from a future’s past that would never see the light of day again as her brain tried to adjust to its new inhabitant. She screamed. She screamed herself hoarse and when her throat was finally bloody and raw and she could scream no more she curled herself into a ball and shook.

When she finally moved again she was not sure how much time had passed or even where she was for that matter. Very groggily she opened her eyes and turned over to stare at the ceiling above her. It was as dark as night, but growing up in Drearburh lent some benefits even if they were just the ability to see slightly better in the dark. It took a minute but she was finally able to focus enough to make out the familiar ceiling of her cell. It had worked. It had fucking worked! She silently cheered in her head and instantly regretted thinking too much.

Gideon rolled off her bed and managed to get her legs under herself before she hit the ground. She stood on shaky legs and moved slowly to the shard of mirror she had propped up in the one corner of her cell. Squeezing her eyes shut she reached out and flicked on the tiny little lamp in the corner of her room that was its only light source. She slammed her eyes shut when the light flickered on and had to take a second to adjust, but then she finally took a look at herself. Red hair? Check. No makeup? Yet. Check. Golden eyes? Check. Roguishly good looking smile? Check! Dried blood on the upper lip? Check?

Gideon raised her hand and wiped the blood away from her face. It was crusty and sticky all at the same time which meant that it had dried on its own long before she could clean it up. She felt gross and out of place so she headed over to her small sink to wash her face and brush her teeth while she was at it. Had to be hygienic, she didn’t want to risk losing any more teeth while in Drearburh. She didn’t want any creepy old bone nuns shoving even older teeth into her mouth to make up for the ones she lost.

Once that was done she shook her arm to get her security cuff out of her sleeve and used it to check the time. It was early, but not too early to go see if her benevolent overlord was awake yet or not. On her way out she turned and grabbed her sword and slung it on her back. She slipped on her shoes as she left her cell and headed to the stairs that would take her up to the Manor level where Harrow’s room was. The familiar climb up those nineteen flights of stairs was probably the closest thing she ever felt to peace.

* * *

Harrowhark Nonagesimus was always a quiet well behaved child and never made a fuss no matter what happened. So it was quite a surprise, and utterly terrifying, that at the age of seventeen she would cry out in the middle of the night like the gates of hell had been opened. It was such a fright that one of the penitents that had happened to be in the hall at the time suffered from a fatal heart attack. This was fortunate for Harrowhark though, as it took attention off of her and onto the newly minted corpse. As more people arrived on the scene it was assumed that the scream came from the penitent just before their death rather than the Reverend Daughter. All of this went on unknown to Harrowhark though as at the time it occurred she was dealing with the unparalleled pain of her brain and soul being overwritten.

Her breathing was shallow and quick as her body was struck again and again with waves of violent agony. She felt every one of her synapses firing over and over again as they tried to rewire themselves to their new host. The whole process must have taken hours and Harrowhark was far too stubborn to do a plebeian thing as pass out. So she suffered in horribly waking silence for the pain to pass and her body to acclimate. Or, she would have liked to claim so. Despite her stubbornness the pain was simply more than her brain could process so it simply decided to turn itself off.

Darkness overtook her.

Her next waking moment was one of pure languish. Utterly drained and despondent she made her way over to her vanity mirror one shaky step at a time. With a deep breath she looked at her reflection and evaluated it. It was her face. Clean sharp features, a tiny nose, and blessedly black eyes. Everything seemed to be in order, except for the blood. Dried blood clung to her upper lip, beneath her eyes, and along her ear lobes. She grimaced and reached out for a cloth to clean her face with. A small smile of satisfaction had settled on to her face as she realized that her theorems were correct and that she was in the past. Now all she had to hope for was that Griddle…

There was a loud knock on the door followed by an annoyingly familiar voice. 

“Honey! I’m home!”

The reverend daughter frowned at the loud arrival of one Gideon Nav, but she put that aside for the time being and said, “Come in Griddle.”

The door to Harrow’s room opened wide and standing on the other side was a smirking Gideon Nav looking far too pleased with herself. She walked into the room and actually remembered to close the door behind her without prompting. This alone should have been enough for Harrow to realize that this Gideon was the one that she brought back in time with her, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. Harrow turned to face her future cavalier fully.

“Why are you here Griddle?” Harrow asked with her coldest tone.

The question only made Gideon smile wider. “To pay homage to the greatest necromancer of all time of course.” 

And then Gideon did the most over the top bow she could manage. The question was asked and the response given. They were almost there and Gideon was grinning like a fool as she waited for the next part. And waited. And waited. Harrow had not moved since Gideon had given her response. The cavalier was pretty sure she had not even breathed yet. Which wouldn't be that far of a stretch for the former Lyctor. So Gideon raised an eyebrow at the little necromancer.

“Say it!” She demanded.

“I feel it is hardly necessary at this point. It’s clear that the theorems worked.”

“Say. It!”

Harrow groaned louder and deeper than she ever had before in her life, like the words she was about to say physically cost her to say them. “Gideon Nav has the sexiest ass of all time, across all worlds and realities, and is a royal pain in my ass.”

The words barely left Harrow’s mouth when her cavalier rushed forward and picked her up into her arms. The necromancer flailed and hit her idiot cavalier repeatedly on the head and shoulders trying to get Gideon to let her down. But the much larger woman did not take the hint and only held Harrow close as she spun her around, laughing hysterically the entire time. Harrow stopped her assault as Gideon finally slowed and came to a halt, but the cavalier did not put her down. Instead she buried her face into Harrow’s hair. Her hot breath sent a shiver down the necromancer’s spine that she refused to acknowledge.

“We did it.” Gideon said softly.

“We did.” Harrow replied as she lifted her hand and ran her fingers through Gideon’s hair. It was a whole unpleasant experience as it was clear her cavalier had not bothered to clean herself before coming up here. But, she admitted to herself that the experience was minutely relaxing.

Gideon gave her one last squeeze for good measure just to see if she could maybe break a rib and get away with it. She wasn’t too disappointed when there was no resounding crack. Harrow smoothed out her nightgown before looking back at the taller woman. Gideon still had that unrestrained smile on her face and Harrow felt compelled to smile back at her, but she reigned in the urge and simply nodded. The whole experience had left her off kilter and she had forgotten that she had not put on her face paint before Gideon entered, so the blush that had risen in her cheeks was in full view of the ginger. 

Surprisingly Gideon did not comment about the blush and instead said, “So what now boss?”

“Simple enough.” Harrow said as she looked back up at Gideon. “We obtain perfect lyctorhood.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiglamene is convinced doom is approaching the Ninth House!

Aiglamene was troubled. She was distraught. She was in a constant state of unease. She did not know when it had started exactly but she was sure that something had changed in Drearburh. Something that could only spell doom for the Ninth House and the death of all her inhabitants. She had to get to the bottom of it before it was too late and her first clue had been just over two weeks ago, not a day after penitent Callofor passed away in the middle of the night from heart failure.

* * *

The reverend daughter had summoned Aiglamene to her chambers by way of note carried by a small four legged creature made of bone. The captain raised an eyebrow at it but put it out of her mind in favor of fulfilling the summons. She exited her room and strode purposefully to the young necromancers chambers. She knocked politely and entered once permission was given. She stepped into the room and before her foot could touch the ground it was ripped out from under her. Literally. One second her bone leg was there, the next it was streaking through the air to the waiting hands of Harrowhark Nonagesimus. 

Aiglamene would have fallen right then and there but two skeletons had been waiting to catch her. She blinked as she settled her weight against the constructs. When she was reasonably sure that she would not fall her gaze turned to the Revenered Daughter. Who happened to be holding her removed leg. 

Harrowhark’s small hands traced every line and crack along the appendage with the cold clinical eye of a professional necromancer born and then proven to the craft. The captain knew better than to interrupt a necromancer so she wisely stayed quiet during the examination. A minute passed and when Harrowhark was finished she seemed to break the bones down into tiny motes of dust that then swirled through the air and back to the stump they had once been attached to. With a light shove the skeletons stood the captain up on her own feet and she was surprised that her leg did not bow under her weight. She took a few experimental steps and found that it reacted better than it ever had before. She was even fairly sure that she could walk perfectly once she put her other boot on.

“That will be all Captain.” The Reverend Daughter said with a dismissive wave, turning to her desk.

Aiglamene was in such shock from the whole experience that all she could do was bow in thanks and turn to leave. She didn’t even turn around all the way before she froze. Her eyes had landed on an unexpected guest sitting cross legged on the floor not ten feet away. Gideon Nav stared up at her with those golden eyes and a smirk that was all too arrogant. Aiglamene took a step toward Gideon and reached a hand out towards her.

“I said. that will be all. Captain.” Harrowhark’s voice rang out in the silence and Aiglamene froze once again .

The captain glanced back at the Reverend Daughter. There she saw her own reflection as well as the reflections of the two young women in the vanity mirror that Harrowhark used to apply her ceremonial paints. She had clearly seen Aiglamene turn towards Gideon and reach for her. Probably correctly assuming that she was playing to drag the young upstart out of the room with her. And Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the sole person in existence that could rival Crux for his hatred of Gideon Nav, had stopped her. So Aiglamene did the one thing she could do in that situation. She turned on her heel and left.

* * *

Thinking back on it Aiglamene realized that it should have been much more obvious that something was amiss but at the time she was simultaneously in shock and elated at the same time. Her leg felt better that it had in years. The pain in her hips and lower back had started easing almost immediately since she no longer had to compensate for the bowing leg. She had even been tempted to try dancing! But she was an old woman and an even older soldier at that. She refused to give into the juvenile desire of prancing around her cell when no one was looking. So, at the time, she had been distracted and had not realized how strange the event really was.

Her second hint came a few days later in the form of one Gideon Nav. The red headed young woman sought her out one day and asked for training. Training is something other than her beloved two-hander!

* * *

“I’m sorry. What?” Aiglamene asked in sheer and utter confusion.

“I want you to train me in the rapier.” Gideon said for the third time and gave an eye roll for her effort.

“I understand what you said, Gideon, I just can’t believe it. Where is this coming from? Did you somehow lose interest in your two-hander?”

The young woman glared at her. “Hell no! That sword is my baby!”

“Then why train in something else? Especially the rapier. You have repeatedly expressed your hatred for Ortus’s blade. One time you called it an oversized toothpick only good for picking the shit out of his ass.”

Gideon chuckled at that. “Yeah I did say that. Okay, it’s like this. You know how sometimes you just want to slum it. Like even though you know the brown paste isn’t as good as the gray paste but you still feel like having it sometimes? Just for a change of pace. It’s like that.” Aiglamene just looked at her skeptically. “Alright fine. I found an old book in the library about sword fighting and there was this hot ass chick with a rapier in an old timey suit and I thought, ‘Fuck. I don’t know if I want to be her or fuck her.’” That was much more believable.

Aiglamene nodded. “Alright. We can work on your footwork at least while I try to find you a suitable blade. The only one that I know of is Ortus’s and that is a family heirloom so no chance of you using that.”  
“Or we could go looking for something now?”

The captain squinted. “Why do you seem so eager about this?”

Gideon raised an eyebrow at the question like it was dumb for existing. “Because a hot chick is involved.” Again. Believable.

Aiglamene just turned and motioned for Gideon to follow. The two started to make the long way down to the deeper caves, which was much easier on her now that her leg had been adjusted. One would think that the first stop on their little excursion would be the Ninth Armory, however Aiglamene knew every inch of that room and it was all just rusted over junk. Bah, show pieces. So the best option was to head down deep into the caves and hope to find something that had miraculously survived. She expected the trip to last for several hours and maybe even a day or two to sort through everything after the fact to get a blade ready. Once they got down to the lower levels though she found that her expectations were horrifically off.

As they walked down the corridor that was surrounded by little niches in the wall inlayed with bone Aiglamene saw a small pile of weapons in the middle of the fucking path. She stopped and turned towards Nav with a stare that could flay a person alive.

“Explain,” was all she said to the young woman. Gideon grinned and the captain had to resist acting out of hand. 

“I may have scouted out a couple of places earlier and pulled out what I could find.”

“You actually planned ahead for this?”

“Yeah. Why is that such a surprise to you?”

It really shouldn’t have been if Aiglamene was being honest with herself. She had known Gideon Nav since she was a child. She had seen every single one of her escape attempts. True, they had all ended in failure, but each one was more methodically planned than the last. The most recent must have taken months to prepare for considering all the rope it had involved. The captain wondered not for the first time if the reckless youth was more clever than she let on. In regards to that Aiglamene let the question drop and turned towards the pile of weapons.

She crouched in front of the pile, something that would have proved to be difficult for her just a few days ago, and proceeded to sort through them. As she rummaged she would occasionally toss blades to Gideon and have her try them out. After a few rounds they ended up with three blades that could be considered serivable.

“What about an off-hand?” Gideon asked as she looked over a chipped sword with an intricate basket hilt.

“So you want an off-hand too? What are you, a cavalier?” The question caused the young woman to flinch. It was a small movement but Aiglamene had spent years training with Gideon and had learned her tells. Did the young woman have some kind of fanciful dream of becoming a cavalier once she joined the Cohort? With her skills it wouldn’t be impossible, but the thought of having a cavalier from another house was almost unheard of. And even when it did happen it was usually with the Fourth and the Fifth Houses. Be that as it may, giving Gideon something to focus on and out of trouble was always a good plan.

“The chain,” she said.

“Not the knuckle?”

“You would prefer the knuckle, wouldn’t you? Well, the knuckle is certainly an option and we can train that too if you like. But the chain would be an easier transition for you I think, though it may take longer to master.” She paused to gather her thoughts and was surprised that Gideon did not speak up in the silence. “Your two-hander is heavier and has more of a reach than a rapier does. The chain gives both of those things back to you. It is also very good at creating distance and disarming opponents. Both of which I can see you abusing just to torment your opponent.”

That got a devilish grin from Gideon. “Chain it is.”

“Chain it is.” Aiglamene agreed.

* * *

The whole experience was a bit odd, but then again so was Gideon Nav. The thing that really should have tipped her off though was that Gideon had said she had found a book in the _library_. The Gideon Nav she knew would never willingly set foot in a library even if you told her that half of the books were actually pornographic. Aiglamene was fairly certain that Gideon was allergic to the concept of book learning. The young woman always came across as the learn as you go type. And the captain was one hundred percent certain that the only things that Gideon Nav did willingly read were those trashy magazines she bought from the supply drop pilot that came by every few months. So the fact that Gideon had supposedly been in a library was a glaring red flag to the old captain.

Her last and most recent piece of evidence had appeared just that morning.

* * *

Aiglamene awoke early just as she always did. She dressed and cleaned herself just as always. She had eaten breakfast alone in her cell just as always. The day was as routine as it could be. So with a confident stride she made her way out of her cell and did her rounds. The process was long and only really served as a way of keeping track of any of the penitents that had passed away in their sleep. You would think that finding a dead body would serve was a way to break up the monotony of life but it happened so often in the Ninth House that even finding a dead body was routine. There were some things that made the trip more interesting though. Sometimes she would run into someone who was actually interested in talking and she would have a conversation, albeit a forced one, during her walk. She could not say if those conversations were the lowest or highest point of her day. 

She eventually reached the Manor level which was always the easiest part of her rounds. No one was ever here but the Reverend Daughter. She almost tripped over herself when she started to hear voices. She slowed her pace and made her way closer to the noise until she could make out what was being said.

“Could you please be serious about this Griddle?” That was the Reverend Daughter.

“I am serious. Serious as death!” And that was Gideon with another lame joke that no one ever laughed at. Except this time someone did.

Aiglamene froze when she heard what sounded like a snort of suppressed laughter come from a very unlikely source. With a grace she had not leveraged for years the captain made her way down the hall and came upon the speakers she had just been listening to. And after a quick headcount she had confirmed her worst fears. Harrowhark Nonagesimus had laughed at Gideon Nav’s joke!

This was the last piece Aiglamene needed for an idea to form in her head of what had been going on inside Drearburh. An idea so utterly horrifying that she was sure that if she spoke it aloud it would mean the end of the world!

Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus had become friends!

* * *

The captain was not sure when it had happened or even how it had happened, but it seemed that against all odds the two youths of the Ninth House had bonded and formed a friendship. With that idea in mind a lot of other things fell into place as well. Gideon had not attempted to escape in almost a month! Which she was pretty sure was a new record. Harrowhark had seemed more relaxed lately and even seemed to enjoy her time out of her cell, which was normally impossible considering that she did all her necromantic studies in her cell. And lastly Aiglamene had seen the two of them in close proximity to each other over the last few weeks without them trying to kill each other!

Truly if there was ever a sign of the apocalypse and the destruction of the Nine Houses this was it! But she had to know for certain! WIth an aggressive stride she made her way down into the lower levels to Gideon’s cell. She planned to confront the young woman head on as she was the most likely of the two to talk. She had even brought her sword for good measure in case she had to fight Gideon for the answers. When she finally took those last few steps to the front of the cell she took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Gideon Nav! What in the Nine Houses have you...been...doing?” She trailed off.

The cell was empty and Gideon’s security cuff was sitting unlocked on her nightstand. Aiglamene almost tore out of the room in a fury to hunt down the escaped Gideon for the thirty-eighth time but stopped when she noticed a note under the cuff. She pulled it out and read it.

**Gideon Nav is given temporary leave to remove her security cuff.**

**She is not to be hunted nor considered to have escaped her servitude.**

**This temporary leave is granted by the below signee.**

**-Harrowhark Nonagesimus-**

**-The Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House-**

“What the fuck is going on?” Aiglamene asked in bewilderment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!  
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I always kind of liked Aiglamene's character and wanted to give her at least a little attention. Plus I thought it would be fun to show Gideon and Harrow's relationship from an outside perspective.
> 
> As always, please comment in you have any feedback!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's better the second time around. Mostly.

Gideon Nav kept pace behind Harrowhark Nonagesimus as the two made their way down into the heart of Drearburh. Even though Gideon spent her entire childhood growing up in the old halls of the Ninth House, she still felt a chill run down her spine as they descended. Her hand reflexively came to rest on the pommel of her rapier, the chains strapped next to it rattled with the movement. The noise caught Harrow’s attention and the necromancer glanced back at her cavalier.

“Something wrong Griddle?” She asked.

“No. Just curious why we’re down here.” Gideon replied and gestured to the entrance to the Locked Tomb.

“For the ritual of course. No one will come this close to the tomb and the process cannot be stopped once it is started. There can be no interruptions.” 

Gideon stared at the entrance to the tomb. She knew what was in there. The long dead, not-dead, creature turned human that her father had somehow stolen all his power from. It was then that she realized that she knew something that Harrow didn't. “I never got around to telling you this but I learned her name.” 

“What?” Harrow asked, her voice rising. She stopped walking and stared at Gideon.

“Your frozen love over there.” Gideon gestured to the tomb. “Pops let her name slip. Turns out she was his Cavalier. All the power that he has came from her.” 

Harrow looked at the tomb and Gideon instantly regretted her words. Harrow was looking ahead of her but did not see the stone. She only saw what was past it. Gideon knew she only saw the Body. Gideon realized she should have kept her damn mouth shut. 

Harrow turned. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Her voice was rushed and high pitched. Her expression said that she needed an answer and she needed it now.

So Gideon clamped her jaw shut and did not reply. She had forgotten. Partly. And the other part, she was pretty sure that she couldn’t speak the words even if she wanted to. The actual truth was much worse than whatever Harrow could come up with. Nothing could be worse than the reality that Gideon was afraid. She was afraid of losing Harrow entirely. She had so little claim to any part of her necromancer’s life that she clung desperately to what she had. So she kept her mouth shut and refused to answer.

The silence dragged on. It got so intense that a pounding rhythm could be heard and Gideon could not tell if it was her heart thundering in her chest or a knock coming from the otherside of the stone.

Until finally the silence was broken. “It doesn’t matter.” 

Gideon snapped her gaze right to Harrow. Her eyes were wide and unbelieving as she asked, “What?” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Harrow replied. And Gideon’s eyes opened even wider. “The only thing that matters right now is you and I, Gideon. We came here to do a job and we are going to do it. Everything else comes after.”

“You’re not…” Gideon trailed off. 

“Not what Griddle?” 

“Not going to replace me?!” Her voice was filled with something close to desperation and a smidge of fear on the side. Neither of which she would ever admit to.

“Why would I do that?” Harrow asked in a calm and cool voice. The same voice that she would use to discuss the weather. That is if Drearburh had any weather.

“She was...is God’s Cavalier! The source of his power! Don’t you want that? Don’t you want her?” Gideon’s voice cracked as it rose in volume. “Don’t you even want to know her name?” 

Harrow was taken aback by Gideon’s words but she answered calmly, “I admit that I do wish to know her name. So much of my life was spent obsessing over her that being able to call her something other than the Body would be a relief. But no Gideon, I would not replace you.” 

So softly that Harrow barely heard it, Gideon asked, “Why?” 

“Because you are _my_ cavalier Gideon. No one else's. Mine. And you are the best damn cavalier to have ever existed! I don’t want anyone else if it isn’t you.” She said with resolve in her voice.

Harrow’s breath was knocked from her lungs as Gideon reached out and grabbed her. In any other moment, in any other place, Harrowhark would have reacted as she normally did. Summon an army of skeletons to rip Gideon off of her before the onslaught began. Except that no blows came her way. There was no pain. No biting words. So she did not summon any skeletons. Instead she just let herself feel.

The embrace was so forceful that Harrow was fairly certain one of her ribs had cracked, but that did not matter. What mattered was the slight vibrations she felt coming through her upper torso. It did not take her long to deduce that Gideon’s shoulders were trembling. Her breaths were heavy and quick like she had just finished a fight. It seemed like she was in pain. Or was it relief?

It was only then that Harrow realised how much it actually meant to Gideon to be her Cavalier. She had always assumed it was just an unwanted responsibility. Something that was forced upon the other woman. It was true that Gideon had grown into the position quite adequately but Harrow thought that it was more out of pride than any actual desire to be in the role. But it seemed that Harrowhark Nonagesimus had made a mistake. Something that did not happen often. So rare in fact that whenever she did make a mistake she always learned from it. Slowly and very carefully she raised her arms and wrapped them around Gideon’s shoulders.

“I will never replace you Gideon Nav. You are and always will be my Cavalier. That I promise you.” The words were quiet but they were spoken with more force than even Harrow herself had been expecting. 

It did seem though that it was the right thing to say. She felt herself being pulled in tighter against the taller woman’s chest. A chest that she realized was far more developed than she had previously thought. With a heat rising up the back of her neck she pushed herself away.

“Enough of this. We have work to do.” She said quickly.

And with that she turned and entered the tomb, not needing to look back to know that her cavalier had followed her, for she knew that wherever she walked so too did Gideon Nav.

**One Flesh. One End.**

* * *

A few hours had passed since they had entered the tomb and not a single word had been spoken since. Gideon was pacing back and forth in a small area near the entrance. The cold had quickly set in and she kept moving in an attempt to stay warm. All the while she had been ruminating on what had transpired between her and Harrow, despite the fact that all she wanted to do was forget about it. But like everything in her life, nothing ever went the way she wanted it to. So she thought and then she overthought. And she kept on coming back to the same thing. Harrowhark Nonagesimus had hugged her! Which should have been impossible. Well there was that time in the pool but that hadn’t really counted. Did it? No, it didn’t.

On the rare moments when she was not internally panicking she did the only other thing she could do. She watched as her necromancer drew intricate patterns on the floor of the cave with her own blood and spit. It was as unsettling as it was enthralling. Watching Harrow in the thick of her passion for necromancy was always a sight to behold. Whether that sight was good or bad was always subjective.

The smaller woman had a look of pure concentration on her face as she drew strange symbols on the ground. She seemed possessed but Gideon knew that this was just her hyper fixated self out on full display. She had always been like. She passionately pursued whatever it was she wanted until she had it. So Gideon was forced to alternate between walking around and over thinking and standing around strairing. It was during one of her bouts of staring that Harrow finally gestured for her to come over.

“Sit there,” Harrow said as she pointed to an empty circle opposite the one she sat in.

Gideon did as instructed and plopped herself down, “Explain this to me one more time.”

“We have been over this already, Griddle.” Came her necromancer's reply.

“Humor me.” The cavalier stated and hoped that her nerves did not come through in the tone of her voice.

“First you drink the potion.” 

“The one that stops my heart.”

“You drink the potion. Then I start drawing your soul out of your body. Once I have a link established I start feeding my soul into you, which will start to kill me. The necromantic circles I have set up will burn the thanergy created to keep us both alive during the process but still in a state of dying. Once the switch is completed I will break the circles and our souls will naturally seek out and return to our original bodies. The outer circle will make sure our souls do not escape during this step. When we are back in our own bodies a permanent link between us will be established. This link will create an indefinite supply of thanergy as our bodies enter a state of permanent near death. The thanergy created though will keep us from dying and thus turn us both into perfect Lyctors.” 

Gideon took a minute to process the whole thing before she nodded. “Alright, I’m ready. But if this whole thing goes sideways and I don’t make it out of this I want you to know one thing.” Harrow looked at her with wide eyes. “You can have my skin mags if I die again. They’re under my bunk.” 

Harrow stabbed Gideon in the chest as a form of reply.

Gideon’s world spun as the pain seared through her chest. Then she felt a pull and everything seemed to fade. First thing to go was the ringing in her ears. Next was the numb sensation in her ass from sitting on the stone floor. Then the smell of old air and Harrow’s scent left her nose. Finally was her view of Harrow’s eyes. Those perfect black eyes that for once in her life was focused solely on Gideon.

And then she died.

* * *

Death the second time around was very much the same as the first for Gideon Nav. It was sudden and very unpleasant. Kind of like sneezing out of nowhere and getting your snot everywhere. The part after dying though, now that, that was very different this time. The first time they had done this was under very different circumstances. It was done out of desperation and a need for survival. When Harrow had pulled her soul out all she felt was cold sharp pain as her mind and soul were torn apart and rearranged inside her necromancer. This time though. This time it felt warm. It felt like Harrow had taken her hand slowly and pulled her into a sweet embrace. At some point she blinked and when she opened her eyes she saw herself. Her body was looking at her, but something was wrong. One of the eyes was the wrong color. As she registered this her body raised its right hand and pulled the dagger out of its chest. The wound had started to heal before it was even removed all the way. Then with a quick slash the blade struck through the two circles and then she felt that pull again. This time she screamed.

* * *

“Gideon!”

Nothing.

“Dammit Gideon! Wake up!”

And she did. But only after Harrow had started pounding her on the chest with her tiny fists. Gideon coughed and tried to catch her breath. Panic set in as no air filled her lungs. Her hands went to her throat.

“Calm down Griddle. We don’t need to breathe anymore.” Harrow’s calm voice filtered through the haze and managed to convince her brain to stop and just listen.

After a moment the redhead sat up and felt air enter her lungs. “What happened?” She managed to ask as she grabbed her head.

“It worked.”

GIdeon’s eyes shot open and was almost surprised to see them staring back at her, but in someone else's head.

“You know, I really hate seeing my eyes in your skull.” Gideon stated.

“No you don’t.” Harrow replied. “You love the idea that you’re inside me.”

If Gideon Nav’s heart hadn’t already stopped it would have just then. So instead she passed out. Again.

* * *

When Gideon became aware of herself she realized her back hurt like hell. She shifted slightly and felt a rough stone floor beneath her. One particularly cruel rock and jammed itself right at the base of her spine and she knew that it would be bruised when she checked the spot later. After a moment of evaluating her discomfort she slowly realized that her head had been propped up on something soft. She shifted and finally opened her eyes. And there, staring down at her was Harrow.

“If I had realized you would take that joke so badly I wouldn’t have said it.” Harrow said.

“Okay, first off, you just admitted you told a joke. A joke! You have never told a joke in your life! I’m pretty sure that this is a sign of the end times!”

“Oh shut it Griddle.” Harrow rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“No, no. I’m not done. Second. It was a sex joke! A fucking sex joke Harrow! You can’t pull that kind of shit out of nowhere like that! You could have killed me!”

“A joke is hardly a weapon capable of killing anyone. Especially a lyctor.”

“It is when you’re the one who says it!” Gideon practically shouted, finally sitting up so she could be level with Harrow.

“I didn’t think it was that bad.” Harrow glanced away.

“It wasn’t bad! It was fucking perfect! The setup and the innuendo were flawless! I could not have done it better myself. So where the fuck did it come from?”

“I do not know. It just kind of slipped out. Maybe the link transfers more than just thanergy. Maybe some of our other traits got shared as well.” Harrow said as she looked back at Gideon. The stare was intense and Gideon had to try not to flinch.

“Yeah. Maybe.” She replied. She thought furiously for a way to change the subject and get Harrow’s gaze off of her. She came up with one idea. “Her name’s Alecto.”

Well it worked. Harrow went from looking at her to staring deeper into the tomb. That intense all encompassing look that she only ever had when the Tomb was involved. Shit. Maybe it worked too well.

“Tell me what happened.” She didn’t even look back at Gideon.

Gideon almost thought about not telling her, but she knew that it was important. That Harrow deserved to know the truth about her God. So she told her. She told her about Mercymorn stabbing them in the back. Their rescue at the hands of Cytheria’s body. The letter. The truth about her mom and why Gideon was born. Mercymorn and Augustine’s betrayal. The death of God and his resurrection. What that meant for Dominicus. And finally who Alecto was.

When she had finished She was pretty sure that she might have short circuited Harrowhark’s brain. The necromancer was staring wide eyed at her and did not seem to be breathing. Thankfully they did not seem to need to do that anymore so there was little worry of her suffocating. When she finally blinked and seemed to gather her thoughts she raised her hand and placed it gently on Gideon’s cheek. The cavalier leaned into the touch subconsciously.

“So much happened in so little time when I got dragged away. I’m sorry for leaving you to deal with all that by yourself.” Her words were gentle. Something that Gideon thought was impossible until that moment.

“S’alright. I survived. Just like always.”

Harrow nodded, “You did. And I am forever grateful for that.”

Gideon had to look away as she felt moisture forming in the corner of her eyes.

Harrow dropped her hand and it came to rest in her lap. “We need to decide what to do about your father.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we need to decide whether or not we are going to kill God.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked the new Chapter! As always I appreciate any feedback you all might have.
> 
> See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drearburh is usually a quiet place... Until it isn't.

Drearburh was usually a quiet place. Besides the ever present whine of the machines. And the constant chipping away at the stone by the skeletons of the house. And the hourly bell. And the rhythmic clacking of pray beads... Maybe Drearburh wasn’t a quiet place, the man noted. But the noises heard there could easily be ignored. It was the type of noise that could settle into the background and eventually fade from your notice. What did not fade to the background though were the screams. Screams coming from the chambers of The Reverend Daughter. As such, no one asked questions about it. For one simply did not question what The Reverend Daughter did in her chambers. Especially when Gideon Nav had been seen entering before the screaming started.

Yes, Drearburh was a quiet place.

* * *

The set up took a few hours and Gideon spent the entire time staring at her sword. She hadn’t touched it in days in case anything happened before they could perform the lyctor ritual. But now that it was all said and done they could address the elephant in the room. Well ghost in the room. 

“I’m ready.” Harrow said from behind her.

Gideon stood and hefted her sword onto her shoulder. When she turned she saw little motes of blue fire floating in the air around the room. Soul magic. Or at least that’s what Gideon thought it was. She wasn’t completely sure since there were also bones arranged in a large circle on the floor as well. Probably some kind of weird combo. Harrow had been spending all her free time when she wasn’t working on the Lyctor process, refining her knowledge and ability with soul and flesh magic. It was clear that out of the two she favored soul magic. Whenever she worked on flesh magic she brooded two hundred percent harder. Gideon thought it was hilarious.

“Place it there.” Harrow pointed to a pair of skeletal arms sticking out of the floor.

The cavalier nodded and put the sword into the open hands. Boney fingers closed around the blade and blue fire ignited around where the sword was clasped. She stepped away and exited the circle. 

With a nod Harrow closed her eyes and started speaking. “We call you forth, oh trapped spirit. We bid you leave your steel home. By the tie to your home and the blood of your blood.” Gideon blinked at that and wondered when Harrow had gotten a hold of her blood. “We summon you, Captain Wake!” That is when the screaming started.

The translucent spirit trembled and shook as its form seemed to waiver in and out of reality. Her screams alternated between pained wails and enraged bellows. When she finally seemed to settle into reality Gideon could make out the lines of her face and the faint red hue of her hair. She kind of hated how much they looked alike. It was weird, she had spent years visiting her mother’s bones each morning before her day started to tell her about her life, but now with the woman in front of her she was speechless. Thankfully Wake did not seem to have the same problem.

“Well hello my little Bomb.” The revenant said with ice in her lungs.

“Mom.” Gideon replied.

“So you actually know who I am, that’s a bit surprising. Though I guess I shouldn’t be given that you used your blood to summon me.”

Gideon turned her head and looked at Harrow. “Yeah. My blood.”

Harrow did not respond to the unanswered question. “We have some questions for you Wake.”

“I got nothing to say to you, you boney ass piece of shit.” It looked like Wake tired to spit at her but being a spirit it did not have the same effect.

“I see where you get your mouth from Griddle.” Harrow said. And then raised a bone fetish up in front of Wake’s face. “You will answer our questions.” Blue fire burst to life on the fetish and Wake screamed.

Gideon stood rooted to the ground and watched as the spirit of her mother was tortured. She didn’t care as much as she thought she would. Yeah it was her mom, but the spirit in front of her had basically made her with the sole purpose of killing God and destroying the solar system. Which was a really dick reason to have a kid and kind of pissed her off when she thought about it. There was also the fact that she had tried to kill Harrow and take over her body. Which made her even more pissed off.

When the screaming stopped Harrow asked, “Feeling more cooperative?”

“Fuck off.” Was the revenant’s response. Then she started screaming again.

Gideon sighed, “This is pointless. She’s just as stubborn as I am and she probably can’t even give us anything useful. She’s been dead for almost twenty years. She’s nothing but a bitter old bitch. Just exorcise her already.”

Harrow lowered the fetish, “Maybe you are right Gideon.”

“They fucking named you after that bastard?” Wake demanded.

Harrow nodded. “It was the only thing you said as you died. We had assumed that it was the name of your child since you were holding on to her so desperately.”

“That’s kind of fucking hilarious. My own kid gets named after the guy who killed me. Bet you didn’t know that did you?” Wake asked with a mocking smile.

“I did actually.” Gideon replied. “I also know that you were fucking him, but he wasn’t my father.”

Wake stared at her like she was a puzzle that was missing a piece and it pissed her off. “How do you know that?”

“John told me.”

The words were simple but their impact was anything but. Gideon and Harrow could almost see Wake’s mind working through the implications of the words. She was shocked at first, her eyes moved rapidly back and forth as she processed what she had heard. And then her eyes settled on them. Focusing in on their covered eyes as if searching for answers. Without prompting they took off their coverings and looked at Wake with each others’ eyes. That was when Wake escaped.

With a blood curdling scream the blue flames turned red and the fetish in Harrow’s hand exploded. Wake reached behind her and grabbed a hold of the two-hander there. She lunged forward towards Harrow with a thrust aimed for the Necromancer’s throat. The blade never connected. 

Gideon intercepted the thrust with her rapier, pushing the heavier blade aside. With the initial move dealt with she settled into the calm place in her head whenever she fought, letting her body do the thinking. Thing was though, she wasn’t alone this time. She felt something else there. Normally it was a cool detached kind of feeling but this time she felt a warm presence at the back of her head and realized it was Harrow. Not literally, though she was farther behind her, but she felt her connection to her necromancer. And it felt right.

Wake whipped the blade around into an overhead strike that would have cut Gideon in half if she had not already been dodging to the side. The blade struck the floor and seemed to wedge there. Using the moment to her advantage Gideon pressed forward, forcing Wake to abandon the weapon. But it was clear the fight was not over. With another scream Wake’s form changed into something far more horrifying. Her fingers extended into claws and her mouth elongated, growing teeth as sharp as daggers. And she grew a full three feet taller.

“Fuck!” Gideon yelled as she backpedaled. She grabbed her two-hander along the way and threw the rapier to Harrow, who caught it out of the air. “What’s happening Harrow?”

“Transformative emotional reconstruction.” Harrow said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but when she looked at Gideon’s face she realized that this may not have been the case. “Some spirits can change their form if their emotions are strong enough. In this case anger.”

“Well that’s just peachy.” Gideon said as she rushed forward to meet her beast of a mother.

“Buy me some time!” Harrow called as she pulled back.

So that is what Gideon did. She fought smart and on the defensive, making sure that her blade was always between herself and Wake. And making sure that she was always between Wake and Harrow. 

Fighting Wake while she was some kind of freakish monster was far harder than when she had been human. Or rather when she had been a spirit. Wake had more reach than Gideon did and could move much faster. It was a losing battle and Gideon knew it. Or at least it would have been if Gideon had still been just a woman. But she wasn’t anymore. She was a lyctor now. She called on reserves that she had never before tested and found them to be near limitless. Her fatigue was nonexistent and even though her muscles burned from use they did not ache from strain. And every time she suffered a minor wound it closed almost instantly. It was a stalemate. Two limitless forces were clashing and could have kept going for an eternity. But then Harrow shouted for Gideon to fall back. 

She disengaged as blue fire flew past her.

* * *

Harrow had been internally cursing at herself for not spending more time on spirit magic as she watched Gideon do battle. If she had just taken the time she could have prepared more contingencies. Transformative emotional reconstruction was a very rare occurrence and she did not deem it relevant enough to prepare for. But she had been sure that the circles of blood and bone along with the fetish would be enough to deal with Wake, clearly she had underestimated the woman. But Gideon had given her the time she needed to prepare a counter attack and that is exactly what she did.

Blue fires shot forth from her hands and wrapped around Wake like a serpent. Wake let out awful screams as the flames burned into her flesh and dragged her to the ground. Then Harrow called the fire back to her and pulled a thrashing Wake back into the circle on the floor. The process would have drained her dry in the past but now she barely felt any strain. More so she was surprised to notice that the energy she had used was already starting to replenish itself. Which had never happened the first time she had become a lyctor. The first time around she had near limitless energy but it never regenerated this quickly before. She decided to fully test her limits once she was done with Wake. With a flick of her wrists and a small chant she bound the Captain in the circle once again. Harrow was not finished though. She let Wake escape once and she would not let that happen twice. She erected barrier after barrier, each more intricate than the last. When she was finally finished she actually felt herself sweating and panting. Gideon whistled.

“Damn Harrow. That was impressive.” Gideon said with a grin.

The simple and straightforward praise caught Harrow off guard. She turned her head away and hoped Gideon could not see the tips of her ears. “This is nothing Griddle.”

“When the fuck did you get humble oh Dark Princess of Eternal Night?”

A gagging noise prevented Harrow from replying. “Oh by Eden, please shut up. I don’t need to hear your painful preteen flirting.” Wake made the spitting motion again but it had as little effect as it did previously. But it did get Harrow’s attention off of her rising temperature and back to the matter at hand. She stalked over to her desk and grabbed the skull that was there.

“Do you recognize this Wake? You should, because it's yours.” Harrow said as she held out the skull in front of her.

“Fucking do it you sriveled up old wizard! Give me the satisfaction!” Wake practically roared.

Harrow groaned and raised the skull out in front of her but before she could do anything Gideon reached out and put a hand on her arm.

“Let me give this a shot.” Gideon said. The two locked eyes and something seemed to pass between them before Harrow finally nodded. She lowered the skull and took a step back.

“Look, I think a lot of what you think is going on really isn’t. To start, we’re not working for John. He didn’t tell us to summon you and he has no idea that you're still hanging around.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?” Wake asked in distaste.

“Think about. You must be at least semi aware of what goes on around you while you’re in the sword. Have I ever left the planet? Have you ever been aware of any of the Lyctors or even John having come here?” Gideon waited a beat and when no rebuttal came she continued. “We are doing this on our own. We become lyctors on our own. And no we didn’t axe a couple of randos. Harrow and I achieved perfect lyctorhood. No one had to die.”

“That’s impossible!” Wake spat the words out like bile. “Gideon the First told me about what he had to do to become a fucking zombie!”

“It is true that he had to kill his Cavalier. But it is also true that there is another way.” Harrow interjected. “It was always possible but John manipulated things so that way the result always resulted in the death of the Cavalier. He made it seem like a necessary sacrifice rather than an unnecessary mistake.”

“Why though?”

“Because he didn’t want anyone to figure out how he did it and who he did it with.” Harrow said.

Wake looked at them both then. She really looked at them. Clinical and appraising. Gone was the rage and in its place was realization. “You figured it out.” It was not a question.

Gideon shrugged. “Not exactly, but we know the truth about John and where he got his power from. We also know about you working with Augustine and Mercymorn.”

“We know who is in the Locked Tomb.” Harrow added.

“Well shit.” Wake breathed out. Her form had started shifting back to normal when she began talking again and now she was more or less human again. “If you know all this, what the fuck do you need to know from me?”

“How to contact the Blood of Eden.” Harrow stated.

Wake’s eyes went wide before a sharp grin spread across her face. “Well why didn’t you just say so?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the update!  
> Please leave a comment if you have any feedback. I love hearing from you all!!!!
> 
> See you next time!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duel for the title of Cavalier Primary!!!

The First Bell Rang out twenty times. The muster call. The house skeletons dropped their picks and shovels and began shambling into the depths of Drearburh. For the living denizens of the Ninth House, what few there were, that meant dressing in their finest blacks and combing their hair. A muster call in the Ninth was rare and the closest thing the penitents had to social gatherings outside of the daily sermons. So everyone who was able turned out for the event. Everyone settled into their usual spots. The nobles of the house sat on the long bench nearest the altar. Off to one side sat Crux, Ortus, and Ortus’s mother. Aiglamene was standing at attention not five feet from Crux’s other side. The only one out of place was Gideon Nav.

The youth hardly ever willingly made an appearance for the muster call and no one really minded her absence. But on that day she stood leaning against a wall directly opposite from Ortus Nigenad. She was wearing those strange tinted glasses that she had taken to wearing around the same time that the Reverend Daughter had started to wear a veil. Gideon’s presence during the call was strange, but what was stranger still was that she was wearing traditional face paint in the style of the chained skull, which typically denoted a person bound to duty. No one said anything about it though because the Honorable Family were seated right there and none of them had said a word about the makeup, so no one else in the house did either.

Finally after the shuffling had died downed the Reverend Father stood and made a gesture for silence despite the fact no one had been talking. After a beat he spoke.

“Good day to all of you.” At his words several of the audience gasped and Crux looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “I know it has been some time since I had last formally addressed you all and for that I apologize. My wife and I had sought to deepen our faith by removing ourselves from the living as much as possible. But recent events have given me reason to speak to you all today for what very will be the last time. For you see my wife and I plan to cloister ourselves away in a final act of faith. But before that I have news to announce.”

There was murmuring throughout the audience and Gideon was pretty sure she could hear Aiglamene trying to whisper something to Crux but the old man was not responding.

Priamhark continued, “The blessed house of the Ninth has been given a great gift! Our Eternal Lord, The Emperor Undying, King of the Once and Future Resurrection, has sent us a summons!”

Quiet voices erupted amongst the crowd. The words said were more upbeat than had ever been spoken in the Ninth house in close to twenty years. Truly this was the happiest day in an age for most of its residents.

With another gesture Priamhark quieted the crowd, “Daughter, if you please?”

Gideon’s eyes flickered to Harrow’s face and caught her lips mouthing the word  _ please _ . It seemed that the extra studying was paying off. The Reverend Daughter stood and walked up to her father. With a nod from him she took a step back to give her the floor.

Harrow raised the letter she was holding as if to show it off to the congregation. Which is exactly what she was doing and Gideon knew it. She also knew the contents of the letter so she focused instead on the reactions of those in the hall. Aiglamene and Crux were not surprised of course. They had been made aware of the letter not long after its arrival. Next to them Ortus looked more and more aghast as Harrow read each line one after the other. His mother looked just as stricken if not more so. When Harrow finished her reading Gideon’s eyes swept out across the crowd and was surprised that no one had died. Evidently this had surprised Harrow as well, Gideon could faintly feel it there at the other end of their link. 

It was something that they had noticed gradually, that they could feel each other’s emotions if they took the time to reach out and look for them. The first time it had happened Harrow had apparently been meditating as a part of her training in soul magic and her consciousness had drifted close to Gideon’s right when the cavalier had been two knuckles deep inside herself. The shock was so intense for Harrow that it sent a painful feedback to Gideon that made her feel like she was being tased. Needless to say the next few days after that had been awkward for them. A smirk had formed on Gideon’s face as she recalled the event.

“I won’t!”

The voice had gotten everyone's attention and they all turned at once to look at Ortus. The lumpy Cavalier Primary had stood. His mother was still seated but was desperately clawing and trying to get him to sit down again. That was her queue. Gideon pushed off the wall.

“You’re right. You won’t. I will.” She said and the heads of everyone in the hall turned to her. “Ortus Nigenad, son of Mortus the Ninth I challenge you for the right to the title of Cavalier Primary.” She drew her sword and that is when a wheezing gasp could be heard from the pews as one of the audience died of shock.

That certainly killed the mood that Gideon had been trying to set. The sisters had tried their hardest but they could not save the penitent's life. Quite prayers were said as the corpse was carried out of the room. Most of the tension had evaporated by the time the body had been removed. But Gideon would admit that it was almost worth it to see the small smirk on Harrow’s face from seeing Gideon’s moment being stolen from her. So Gideon figured she could forgive the old man’s untimely death. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand close around her wrist.

“What do you think you are doing Nav?” Aiglamene asked with venom on her tongue.

“My job, Captain.” Gideon replied with a smirk.

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean? You can’t just do this kind of shit Gideon! There are procedures and protocols. I know you want off this rock but you can’t just make challenges like that!”

“Actually she can.” Harrow interrupted as she walked up and stood next to Gideon “She has a right to make the challenge.”

“On what grounds?” Aiglamene asked, no longer using so harsh a tone.

“She is my Cavalier Secondary.” Harrow stated and Aiglamene’s jaw dropped open.

The Reverend Daughter once again stood in front of her congregation and opened her arms wide to gain their attention.

“Gideon Nav, Cavalier Secondary, has challenged Ortus Nigenad, Cavalier Primary, for his title.” She turned to Ortus and said, non unkindly. “Do you accept the challenge, Ortus?”

“Absolutely not!” Sister Glaurica shouted as she rose from her seat. “Ortus is the only one who can be Cavalier Primary. He has the breeding and the training! That insipid orchan is undeserving!” 

Gideon was pretty sure she could hear Harrow grinding her teeth as she tried to keep from yelling at the old woman. After a beat she replied, “Whether she is deserving or not does not matter Sister. Gideon Nav has rights to challenge and it has been issued. So please kindly step away so Ortus Nigenad can give his reply.” The glare Harrow sent the woman was somewhat lessened by the veil she was wearing but her tone of voice left no room for argument. She turned to Ortus.

“What is your decision Ortus? Accept the challenge and fight for your title or refuse and forfeit it?” It wasn’t a fair question but it was one that had to be asked.

“I - I.” He stammered.

“Ortus, you are a fine man.” Harrow began. “You have a caring heart, a true love for poetry, and the history of our house. You have served the house faithfully since your father’s passing. But, none of these things are dependent on you being Cavalier Primary.” 

“But my father.” He began but was cut off.

“You are not your father. And no, I do not mean that as an insult. You are not a man of the sword Ortus, you are a man of the pen and the word. Do not try to live in your father’s shadow out of some sense of responsibility, he would not have wanted that for you. Branch out. Learn from Aiglamene and Crux on how to run this place. Become a staple to our house, not as some figure head of a Cavalier Primary but as a functioning, competent, and dependable Cavalier Secondary. I am not trying to strip you of your title Ortus, I am trying to give you a chance for change. A chance I think you deserve.”

Ortus stood frozen for a moment. It was clear that he was not used to Harrowhark talking to him this way. Most of their conversations to this point had been dismissive and short. So the sincere words she had spoken to him left a major impact on him

“I forfeit my title as Cavalier Primary to Gideon Nav.” He said with no small amount of relief. As if a burden he had been carrying had finally been lifted from him. His mother dropped to her knees and started to sob.

He bent over and drew her up to him so she could stand. With a nod to his Necromancer and new Cavalier Primary he turned and walked away with his mother. At his departure Harrow closed her eyes and the Reverend Father stood.

“Thank you all so much for coming. It has meant more to me than you will ever know that you all could be here today. The last piece of business I have to annonce is that after my daughter’s departure my wife and I will be locking ourselves in the passageway to the tomb to better ensure its safety. In our absence and with our daughter departing for the first house we are naming Marshal Crux as Seneschal and promoting Captain Aiglamene to Marshal. These two have gone above and beyond for the Ninth for many years and these promotions are overdue. Go now and pray for the success of the Ninth. For the Emperor!”

“For the Emperor.” Was echoed by the rest of the congregation.

As the rest of the hall began to exit Aiglamene stood herself between the two young women. “You planned this. I don’t know how you did but you planned this. This is why Gideon came to me for training and why you two have been so close lately.”

“You’re right captain. We did plan this.” Harrowhark replied.

“How? How could you have possibly planned for this months ago?” She paused for a beat but then carried on. “You know what, nevermind. I don’t care about that. You could have received notice of the summons ahead of time. What I want to know is when the fuck did you two become friends?”

The question threw Gideon for a loop so she glanced over at Harrow. “You want to field this one boss?”

The Reverend Daughter had an excellent poker face but Gideon could make out the barest hint of embarrassment coming in through the link. “It’s complicated Marshal.”

“Oh my god!” Aiglamene’s eyes went wide. “Are you two fucking?”

The question nearly killed the two younger women.

* * *

Some time later Gideon and Harrow had made their way back to Harrow’s quarters. It had somewhat become a habit for them to spend time with each other in the evenings, the man observed. Usually by that time they were both so exhausted from their respective training that they could just exist together in the same space without saying anything for hours. But that night was different, Aiglamene’s question hung in the air between them. So Gideon did the only thing she could. She deflected.

“You were awfully soft with him back there. Ortus I mean. What was up with that?” The newly minted Cavalier Primary asked.

Harrow looked up from the book she had been reading at her desk. She saw that Gideon had taken her usual spot on the floor. The necromancer turned back to her book before she replied. “He was there in the River when I was dealing with your mother. He nearly died protecting me and he very much saved my life.”

“Shit. Old moldy butt really did that?”

Harrow rolled her eyes. “Yes he did. He changed quite a bit after he died. I think that being away from this place. Being away from his mother, helped him grow to be his own person. I can’t get him out of here right now but I can give him a chance to grow.”

“Do you think he’ll take it?”

“Oh he will.” Harrow stated matter of factly.

Gideon raised an eyebrow, “How are you so sure?”

“I found an amateur poetry competition on the net and submitted some of his writing for him. I also told Aiglamene to whip him into shape when the summons came. I plan on telling her to keep to that even though he is no longer Cavalier Primary.” Harrow never put her book down and continued reading. A full five minutes had passed before she realized that Gideon had not said anything so she turned and looked at the taller woman.

Gideon was still in her usual spot. What was unusual was the smile on her face. It wasn’t a grin or a smirk, but a genuine smile directed at Harrowhark Nonagesimus. Harrow could feel the heat rising on her neck. Fuck.

“What is it Griddle?” She managed to ask.

“Nothing. Just admiring you for being kind.” Gideon said sincerely.

Harrow could normally deal with Gideon’s compliments. They were usually backhanded or roundabout, but still she usually meant them. But this, this was something she was not used to. A sincere Gideon was a Gideon she did not know how to deal with. Fuck!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and support for this fic!!! It means so much to me!  
> Hope you all weren't too disappointed in the lack of an actual duel, but I don't think anyone can blame Ortus for conceding the position.
> 
> Chapters may also be coming out a bit slower moving forward. I had been trying to post every 4 days but now it will probably be a full week between posts.
> 
> As always, please leave a comment with your thoughts!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seneschal Crux must uphold the honor of the Ninth!

Seneschal Crux stalked through the halls of Drearburh. His bones ached and his back hurt but he had a duty to uphold. A duty to the Ninth. What happened in the gather hall was ludicrous. He did not care what Aiglamene said, that it was all technically allowed. That The Reverend Daughter could appoint who she liked to her Cavalier unit. Unit. Bah. The Ninth had not needed a unit of Calvary in almost three hundred years. Oh what Crux would have given to be alive in those days. Back when the House was full and had honor to spare.

But he wasn’t. He was stuck in the present and he had to make due with his lot in life. And that meant that if no one else would, he would balance the scales. An injustice had been made and it needed to be righted. His grip tightened around his blade. He stalked deeper into the bowels of Drearburh. His steps were heavy and his breathing was ragged. He had not ventured this deep in years, he had forgotten how many stairs he had to take to get to his destination.

He had to pause frequently, but his determination was unfaltering. He marched ahead with the kind of dogged determination that only a true zealot can match. He had a job to do and he would do it.

When he finally reached his destination he leaned heavily against the wall. He had to rest. He had to be focused and at his best for what came next. Mistakes could not be made and his shaking hands would cause problems. So he waited for his body to get back under his control as he stared at the door to Gideon Nav’s cell.

* * *

She felt a gentle caress against her cheek. Warm fingertips trailed down to her jaw. She looked up into those warm eyes and smiled. Her love returned the smile with one of her own and drew her into an embrace. And then Gideon Nav felt pain.

* * *

Gideon awoke to a sharp pain in her chest. With a panicked gasp she tried to sit up but found herself pinned to her cot. She looked down and saw a long blade sticking out of her chest.

“Fuck!” She cried out.

“How?” Came a quiet voice from within the cell.

Gideon looked up into the darkness. In the past she would have only been able to make out a rough silhouette, but ever since the ritual things had changed. She could see in the dark almost perfectly and then some. She could see strange bits of light circling around inside a person. Harrow had called it Lyctor sight. She said it was the energy inside a person, both thalergy and thanegry. And inside Crux, she could see that he was dying. His old age was catching up to him. His heart looked dark and her lungs filled slowly. He would most likely die in the next year. Crux then surprised Gideon when he came at her with a knife. 

She flung her arm out in an attempt to knock the knife from his hand. It would not be difficult but the blade never made contact with her. Instead the dust in the air coalesced into skeletal hands and slammed Crux to the wall. The bones sank themselves into the wall and held Crux there, wrapped up tightly. Gideon just gaped at the sight. She stared intently at the bones around Crux while the Seneschal tried desperately to free himself, but no answers presented themselves.

“What the fuck?” Gideon wondered aloud. Remembering that she still had a blade in her chest she lifted a hand and yanked it out in one quick motion. With the blade removed she stood and turned on the little lamps she had in the corner of her room. She turned to face the old seneschal.

“What are you?” Crux asked with such animosity that it actually gave Gideon pause.

“Nothing you need to worry about.” She turned and peeked outside her cell door. “Harrow?” She called to the empty air.

She had expected to find the necromancer hidden in the hallway, having had anticipated Crux’s actions and laid in wait to catch him in the act. But no Harrowhark stood in the hall outside. She went back into the cell and took a better look at the bones keeping Crux in place, but in doing so it gave him a better chance to look at her as well.

“Your eyes!” He practically spat. “Why do you have the Reverend Daughter’s eyes?” He demanded.

“Crap.” Gideon muttered and reached for her aviators on her nightstand. With a flick she opened them and placed them on her face. “Sit tight Crux. Be back in a bit.”

And then she made her way out of her cell to the sounds of Crux cursing behind her.

  
  


* * *

Harrowhark Nonagesimus was not a heavy sleeper. At least she wasn’t anymore. Once upon a time she could sleep the night away without so much as rolling over. But after almost a year of having her life threatened by Gideon the First she had become the lightest of sleepers. So when she felt a jolt of something in her chest she was awake in seconds and prepared for an onslaught. Wards blazed to life as her skeleton army rose. She was prepared for any attack.

But none came. She waited for almost an hour before she started to relax and contemplate going back to sleep. But then she felt it. A warm sensation at the back of her neck that she had come to realize was her sense of Gideon Nav. It was difficult to notice sometimes but it was always there if she focused. It was as reassuring as it was frustrating. When the knock fell she knew who was on the other side of the door and knew that she was safe. With a flick of her wrist she dismissed all of her skeletons but one. The last opened the door.

“Come in.” She called out to the darkness as she reached for a candle.

She lit it as Gideon came into view and once Harrow saw her she bolted out of bed.

“What happened?” She demanded as her hands went to Gideon’s chest to inspect the blood there. With some probing she realized that the wound was already closed and that the blood was dry. She chastised herself internally as she remembered that Gideon was a lyctor now and could not be killed with mundane means, but she had panicked all the same. Maybe it was a left over reflex from when Gideon had died for her.

Gideon raised her hand and placed it over Harrow’s and gave it a little squeeze. “Crux attacked me while I slept.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when Harrow ripped her hand away and stormed past Gideon. The taller woman trailing behind her.

“Harrow! Wait!”

She did not wait. She tore down the halls and stairs of Drearburh like a woman possessed. And maybe she was. She had never really felt rage this pure before. There was always some other emotion mixed in with it, but now it was the singular focus of her world. She could tell that Gideon was following her, calling after her, but that was in the back of her mind. The only thing in the forefront was the need to find Crux and eviscerate him!

When she reached Gideon’s cell she flung the door open. “Seneschal Crux! If you think this will...” Was as far as she got with her rant when she saw Crux stuck to the wall with skeletal arms. She turned when Gideon stopped next to her. “What happened?”

“I have no fucking idea.” Gideon replied. “The old fucker stabbed me in the chest while I was asleep. When I came to, he was trying to finish the job with his knife. I tried to disarm him and well.” She gestured to the bones.

Harrow stepped forward to examine the scene. This must have been some kind of que because that was when Crux started speaking.

“She is an abomination!” He spat and then instantly regretted it as he was smacked hard in the face.

Harrow’s hand stung only for a second. The benefits of lyctorhood showing their use once again. “You will not speak again, Crux. Understood?”

The old man nodded.

Harrow walked back out into the hall with Gideon right on her heels. When she reached the stairs she stopped and turned to the taller woman. Very slowly she reached a hand out and placed it on Gideon’s chest again, as if to remind herself that her cavalier was really there. Maybe she did need reminding.

“I should hang him.” Harrow stated.

“While I don’t disagree, that might be a bad idea. We’re leaving in like two weeks and do you really want to leave Aiglamene alone here? With Ortus?” Gideon asked with a smirk.

Her cavalier had a point. “Very well. I will release him. I don’t think I can punish him for trying to kill you though. We don’t want everyone in Drearburh about our secret.”

Gideon shrugged, “S’fine. Not the first time he’s gotten away with almost killing me before.”

Harrow’s hand turned into a fist as it gripped Gideon’s shirt. So much wasted time. So much petty hatred of youth. So much that could have been different. She felt warmth on the back of her hand.

“It’s okay Harrow.” Gideon squeezed. “We’re here. Now. And everything is different.”

Harrow nodded and released the shirt, but did not pull her hand away. She would be lying if she said that she wasn’t getting used to the warmth that was Gideon Nav.

“What do you suggest then?” She asked.

“Dunno. Maybe do that teeth binding thing? Keep him from speaking till we’re off planet. He saw our eyes.”

“Damn.” Harrow breathed out. 

The necromancer let go of Gideon then and stalked back to the cell. When she turned inside she sealed Crux’s jaw shut. He began to scream silently.

“You will be released from that only during meal times. It will be removed permanently after our departure to the First. Now go.” She waved her hand and the bones fell away to dust.

Crux did not run so much as shamble quickly away. He gave Gideon a look of pure menace on his way out and Gideon flipped him off for his troubles. Once he was out of sight she stepped back into her cell.

“Well this has been a hell of a night. I feel like I could sleep for an eternity.” Gideon said as she fell back and onto her cot. When she hit the threadbare mattress she realized that it was still covered in blood. “Hey Harrow, think you can dry this up for me?” When she didn’t get and answer she turned and looked up at the shorter woman. “Harrow?”

“You used necromancy.” It was a statement, not a question.

Gideon shrugged and looked anywhere but at Harrow.

“This shouldn’t be possible. You never showed any talent for it before. And even with the link the knowledge would be useless without the inborn talent. It should be impossible for you to use necromancy.”

“Time travel should also be impossible. Yet here we are.” Gideon said with a confident smirk. The sideways compliment did not fall flat as she noticed the slight upward twitch of Harrow’s lips. Her not wearing paint definitely helped at times like this.

“A valid point. I guess this is just another unexpected side effect of our lyctorhood. We will of course have to test this!” Harrow slimed in a way that said she was far too happy to experiment on one Gideon Nav.

“Anything you say Boss. But can that wait till the morning? I want to catch some zees.”

Harrow went silent again. And that always worried Gideon. A silent Harrow was a plotting Harrow. Even now after they had put everything behind them, a silent Harrowhark Nonagesimus meant trouble for Gideon. And like always this proved to be true.

“You’ll be sleeping with me from now on.” 

“Did Crux actually just kill me?” Gideon asked in wonder. “Because I’m pretty sure there is no way in hell you actually just said that.”

Harrow rolled her eyes. “It is tradition for a cavalier to sleep in the same room as their necromancer.”

“When have I ever been one for tradition, Harrow?”

“It’ll let me make sure you are safe.”

Gideon let out a little laugh, more of a snort really. “Harrow, nothing on this rock can kill me. Cept for maybe you, but I like to think that we’re passed all of that. If you’re worried you can just set up some wards for me.”

“Gideon.”

“Seriously. I’m tired and I don’t think…”

“Please.”

Gideon stopped. She was pretty sure that she even stopped breathing, which wasn’t as big a deal for her as it used to be, but still, the point stood. She looked at Harrow then. Really looked at her. And standing there, without her face paint in just her nightgown, Harrow looked - Harrow looked like a regular young woman. Sure a skinny ass young woman who was pale as death but a young woman all the same. A young woman who was worried and concerned for the wellbeing of another. Someone who she might actually care about.

Gideon stood and started packing her things. “Alright.” She said.

Harrow smiled in the dark and Gideon caught it out of the corner of her eye.

Fuck!

* * *

Getting used to sleeping in the same room as Harrow had been an interesting test in both patience and communication. Which is to say that they sucked at it. Gideon had learned quickly that she should knock before entering. Always. Even though it was technically her room now too. The one time she did not she had stumbled upon a half naked Harrowhark. The sight alone almost ended her, but the slew of skeletons Harrow chased her out of the room with was the real enforcer of the always knock rule.

Harrow had a harder time of it. She had never needed to knock before entering her own room before. But one day she had returned early to her cell after a day in the library because she had developed quite a headache and sought to gain relief in the peaceful thralls of sleep. Admittingly she should have noticed the sock on her door handle before entering but she blamed her misstep on her headache. So when she entered she was not prepared to see her cavalier draped out on her small bed with a magazine in one hand and the other… She could not recall much after that moment, but Gideon claimed that it had been the single most frightening moment of her life.

So now they both learned to knock at all times before entering unless they were entering the room together. The rest eventually sorted itself out. Their time in Canaan House had helped pave the way for their current living arrangements.

One of the beneficial things that occurred was that Gideon finally realized how little Harrow actually took care of herself. She barely ate or drank in a day and the closest she got to exercising was opening her books. So Gideon took it upon herself to try and get her necromancer to take better care of herself. First she tried leading by example. Announcing when she was planning on eating and even working out in their room. Neither had seen much success. So Gideon took to pestering, the man noted. She would ask Harrow if she had eaten and if she said no she would get her food and stand right next to Harrow until she ate. Gideon also started moving Harrow’s books around to try and get her to move around more. That did not end so well, but it did eventually get Harrow to agree to get up and walk more. Sure it was really just pacing with a book in her hand but it was something!

The thing that they could not get used to though were the glances Aiglamene kept sending their way. Whenever she was alone with either of them she would make a comment about the state of their clothing or hair like it should be more proper even though it was no different than it had ever been. There were also the frequent mumblings asking how the Ninth had turned into the Fifth.

But thankfully the last of their days on Drearburh passed quickly and before they knew it they were already on the shuttle bound for the First.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed the update!!!  
> And thank you all so much for the comments! I read every single one and I appreciate your feedback.  
> Love you all!!!  
> Next updated should be out in like a week or so.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened inside the Seventh Shuttle?

Dulcinea Septimus did not know what she was expecting when she set out for Canaan House but it certainly wasn’t the appearance of her own doppelganger. 

They had just reached orbit around the planet when the shuttle shifted and sounds like footsteps could be heard echoing along the hull. Then the airlock blared as it opened from the outside and in walked a woman with features strikingly similar to her own, she hadn’t even been in a spacesuit. Protesilaus Ebdoma had stood when the alarm started blaring, but Dulcinea put her hand on his shoulder when he tried to advance towards the other woman.

“Am I dreaming?” The heir to the Seventh house asked aloud.

“No. You are not.” Protesilaus answered as he angled himself more between his necromancer and the strange arrival.

“Oh my.” Said the double. “They certainly have kept the lines strong in the Seventh House. We could be twins.”

“Who are you ?” Protesilaus demanded.

“My name isn’t important. What is important-”

She never got to finish as the airlock alarm went off for a second time. All heads snapped to the doors and the doppelganger tensed as the doors slid opened. Another woman walked in, but this one was strikingly different than the other. She was fairly tall with a strong build and bronzed skin that matched her burning red hair far too well. Dulcinea wondered if the other hair on her body was also that red and flushed.

In a flash the doppelganger had two sharp white blades in her hands and it took a moment for Dulcinea to realize that the blades were actually bone. And judging by the blood on the ground it belonged to the doppelganger.

“Who are you?” She demanded. “I don’t know you! Why don’t I know you?”

“I’m new.” The redhead said.

“Impossible! Did he make you in secret? Some pet project? You feel different! Why do you feel different?”

The redhead laughed. A full belly laugh that had her clutching at her stomach. It was so unexpected that the double actually lowered her blades. When the tall woman finally stopped laughing she reached up to wipe moisture from the corner of her eye and shot Dulcinea a wink while she was at it. Her black eyes didn’t seem to suit her.

“Sorry about that. It was just so funny and you have no idea how wrong you are. Except for that last part. I’m definitely different. Unlike the rest of you lot, my necromancer and I are both still kicking it.”

With those words the doppelganger seemed to deflate. Dulcinea wasn’t sure how, but in that moment the other woman had looked so much older and she wondered how she had ever thought they looked alike.

“How?” Surprisingly this wasn’t a demand but a quiet plea.

The redhead gave a small sad smile. “He lied. A sacrifice was never needed. I’m proof of that. I don’t know the technical stuff. You’d have to ask Harrow about that.”

“Harrow?”

“My necro. She’s over in one of the other shuttles. We’re representing the Ninth.”

That explained the skull makeup. It didn’t explain the large two-hander on her back though. If what she was saying was true that meant that she was the Ninth’s Cavalier, and no Cavalier had ever wielded a two-hander before. Dulcinea was pretty sure that if they had Pro would absolutely have been using one.

“Be that as it may this only makes what I need to do all the more important. If what you are saying is true and he lied to us all this time then that is just another sin at his feet.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt.” Dulcinea interrupted. “But could one of you explain what is going on?”

Both the other women turned to her. Pro stiffened and his hand drifted to his blade.

“Better not. She won’t hesitate to kill you.” Said the redhead.

Surprisingly Pro listened to her and lowered his hand.

“Smart.” Said the doppelganger. “I’d actually like an explanation as well.” She cocked her head towards the taller woman.

“I’m mostly here to stop you from doing something dumb.” The Ninth said directly to the doppelganger.

“Oh, and how do you think you can stop me?” Her voice held a challenge.

“As much as I’d like to say that I’d take you down myself, I probably couldn’t do it alone. Lyctors are damn difficult to put down.”

Lyctors! She was a Lyctor! By God, that explained why she looked so much like Dulcinea. She must have been the Lyctor from the Seventh House. But who was the other woman than? Why did she seem to know the Lyctor? Dulcinea ran her eyes over the taller woman again and did so much more slowly.

“You sound like you have experience with that.” The double said.

“I do.”

“Who?”

“Mercymorn.” The redhead stated.

The name meant absolutely nothing to Dulcinea, but it must have meant something for her lookalike. Her eyes had gone wide and took to looking over the redhead again, much like Dulcinea had just done.

“You’re not lying. The fact that you know her name means that you’ve met her. Did she send you? Did she get wind of my plan and send you to stop me?”

“No. I sent myself. Well Harrow sent me if you want to get specific. She’s not a fan of the whole space walk thing. Necros.” She said with a shrug. 

“What are  _ you _ here to do?” Dulcinea asked her double. That got all eyes on her again.

“I’m here to offer you a chance at peace.” She said earnestly.

“Cut the bullshit Cytherea.” The double’s head snapped towards the redhead. “You’re here to merc her and take her place in the trials and wreck so much havoc on the whole thing that the big guy has to be called in. But newsflash, It doesn’t work.”

Cytherea glared. “And how would you know that?”

“Because it was this blade that ended you the last time you tried it.” And the redhead whipped her blade out in one swift movement.

Cytherea’s blades were up in less than a second but she did not move. She stared at the taller woman. Taking in every little aspect of her. “Are you crazy?”

“That’s debatable. But it doesn’t change the fact that I have seen you die before.”

“How?”

“I’m from the future.”

And now it was Cytherea’s turn to laugh uncontrollable. Though her’s seemed to be a bit more patronizing than the other woman's had been. “Oh that is rich.” She finally managed as she wiped tears from her eyes. 

The redhead shrugged. “Just because you don’t believe it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

“And how pray tell, could it even be possible.”

“Metatypical thallergic temper oral recon something.” 

“Metaphysical thalergic temporal reconvergence?” Cytherea asked and the redhead nodded. “That’s impossible.”

“Tell that to my necro.” Her eyes blazed with pride then and Dulcinea thought that her eyes finally matched her face.

“Maybe I will.” Cytherea said with edge to her voice.

“Maybe you will.” The taller woman returned her blade to its place on her back.

A crackling noise ripped through the silence. “Come in shuttle Seven. We have had two alerts of the airlock being open. Can you confirm?”

Silence.

“Shuttle Seven? Can you hear me?” The pilot called again.

The occupants of the room looked back and forth between each other. Finally Dulcinea stood and strode over to the console.

“This is shuttle Seven. We heard the pressure cycle but the airlock did not open. Could it be a malfunction?” She asked with a voice laced in honey.

“It might be. We’re going to bring you in early just in case there is an issue.”

“Understood Pilot. Thank you for your consideration.” And with that Dulcinea turned to look at the rest of the room.

“You handled that well.” Cytherea said. “Maybe you will be worth keeping around.”

“Glad you think so too.” The redhead stated. “I really didn’t want to duke it out up here.”

“You couldn’t even touch me.” Cytherea smirked.

“Oh trust me,” The redhead dragged her eyes up and down Cytherea’s form very slowly. “When I get my hands on you, you’ll be begging me to stop.”

Cytherea showed her teeth at that and Dulcinea flushed. She was very confused by the tall woman. It was almost like fighting and flirting were one and the same to her. Which, being a cavalier, it probably was.

“Alright, I’ll concede for now. But I expect answers from your necromancer when I get down there.” She smiled prettily. “Now. If you’ll excuse me I need to prepare for reentry.”

And with that she made her way to the airlock, hit the release button, and when the pressure finished cycling she walked out into space. Once she had exited the redhead dropped her shoulders and slumped as if she had been deflated.

“You alright there?” Dulcinea asked. She stood and placed a hand on the tall woman’s bicep. And she found that there was so much more muscle there then she had expected. So much so that she couldn’t help but give it a little squeeze.

“Um.” The redhead cleared her throat. “I should, um, I should get going too. I don’t want to keep Harrow waiting.” She pointed a thumb at the airlock.

“Your necromancer, yes. You mentioned her.” Dulcinea looked up into those deep dark eyes. “You still haven’t told me your name yet though.”

“Oh. Right. It’s Gideon Nav.” Gideon said as her eyes darted to a corner of the shuttle.

“Gideon. That is a lovely name.” Dulcinea removed her hand. “I have to say Gideon, I owe you quite the thanks. I’m fairly certain you just saved my life.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Saving damsels in distress is kind of my thing.” Gideon said with a cocky smile, her apparent shyness disappearing along with the contact on her arm.

“Well it certainly shows.”

The speakers buzzed. “Shuttle Seven. We just got another airlock alert. We will be bringing you in shortly. Please put on your emergency suits in case the airlock malfunction further.” Said the pilot.

“Guess that’s your queue.” Dulcinea said with a smile.

“I guess so. See you around Dulcie.” Gideon turned and exited the craft.

“That was one of the worst experiences of my life.” Protesilaus said as he plopped back into his seat.

Dulcinea smiled at him. “Oh come on Pro. Live a little.”

The cavalier groaned.

* * *

When Gideon stepped out into space she had to remind herself that she didn’t need to breathe and that she was technically already dead. She didn’t have anything to fear out here. Well, except the cold. And getting the jump wrong and floating endlessly into space. But she was prepared. She reached into that well of power that she and Harrow shared and it provided her warmth. Or at least it felt like warmth. Harrow had said something about the thanergy healing faster than she could freeze. Gideon had mostly just nodded and took away that she wouldn’t die in space. As the airlock opened she pulled out the little finger bone from her pocket and held it. The bone was her lifeline. Harrow could sense it and if she started to drift her necromancer would pull her back to the shuttle.

With that reassurance she jumped. Her momentum never changed in the space between the shuttles and she sailed towards her shuttle. Her angle was a little off though so she had to throw a hand out to catch a hold of the underbelly of the ship, the man noticed. Her fingers slid against the cold steel and she had a brief moment of panic when she couldn’t find anything to grab on to. Thankfully her other hand shot forward as the bone fragment was pulled to the hull. She hung there for a moment before she could orientate herself and make her way to the airlock. She hit the release on the exterior and walked into the shuttle.

When she entered the cabin proper she saw Harrow sitting on the little bench looking right at her. Her expression was a little pained and Gideon had to wonder if what she said about not being affected by deep space anymore was true or not. With a toss she threw the bone to her necromance.

Harrow caught the fragment and tucked it away in her cloak. “Did you kiss her?”

“The fuck?” Gideon asked. “No I didn’t kiss her! I literally have never met Dulcinea before. It was Cytherea!”

“But you’d kiss her if given the chance.” It wasn’t a question.

“Oh, like you wouldn’t make out with Alecto if you could.” Gideon practically sneered.

Harrow did not reply and after a few breaths the intercom came to life. “Shuttle Nine. We just detected another airlock alert. We believe that there may be a malfunction with some of the shuttles. We are bringing you in.” The radio cut out.

Harrow stood and walked up to the console at the front. “Thank you pilot.” 

Their shuttle descended to the First House.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all have been enjoying the series!!!  
> My updates will be a bit slower these days...  
> I started dating someone!!!! :D

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave comments. Especially if you notice grammar or spelling errors. I do not have a beta-reader.


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